TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4515, 15 January 1898, Page 3

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting the Tuapeka County Couucil was held in the Council Chambers on Friday afternoon ; present : Mr J. Bennet (chairman), and Crs Cotton, Edie, Inglis, Livingstou, Osborne, Oudaille, Sim, and Simpson. MINUTES. ■ The minutes of the previous meeting were ' read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. f . From John Caskie, Lawrence, requesting the Council to order the removal of obstructions on the road to his sections 72 and 73, ( block 2, Tuapeka East district, same being planted with trses of various kind*?, a cowhruse beiDg also built there, a picket and ' broom fence planted.— Cr Simpson said he J had at present no authentic information on the subject otMr Caskie's letter. If it were the roadline"shown on the map he thought, however, it was the duty of the Council to £ see that no obstructions such as, would impede ] traffic were allowed.— Cr Oudaille moved, and £ Cr Edie seconded :— " That the letter be re- , cci ved v n til further particulars be ascertained. \ — Motion carried. 1 From Jas. Toner, surfaceman. Waitahuna, ] stating that Smith Bros., of Keteo, went ] through WaiUbuna on the 7th instant with a 4 traction eDgine which broke two planks on 1 the Waitahuna bridge. The damage done amounted to £1 5=5 9d.— Decided to inform t Smith Bros, that they must pay the amount j mentioned within 14 days, otherwise pro- j ceedings will be taken. f An application was made by Jas. Bailey and v Robert Ridd, for a slaughtering license, block -j 8, Millers Flat.-— Received. g From James Allen, M.H.R., stating that he c had received the Council's letter re votes of £ £200 for the repair of main road Waitahuna c township to Bruce County road ; also £200 to 8 rt pair the worst portions of the road Waitahuna T to Waipori. He had interviewed the Minister s on the subject and sent him a letter containing g tbe requests made by the Council, but the s Minister said he could make no definite state- t ment till the further Estimates come down. — g Received.

From Callan and Gallaway 5 solicitors, Dunedin, on behalf of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Sluicing Cj., re the liability for the construction of a road, for which £80 has been demanded by the Council, and asking for a reduction in the amount named. — Cr Inglis said he objected very strongly to any reduction being made in the amount stated. He thought the Council was quite justified in fixing the expense of the road at £80. The Council had expended £60 in material. — Cr Oudaille took a different view of the matter. According to Cr Ingli3 the Council had only expended £60, and the Council was not justified in demanding more than they had expended. — A general discussion followed, Cr Sim eventually moving, and Cr Edie seconding :— «• That Messrs Callan and Gallaway be informed that the Council adhere to their former resolution and repudiate any idea of making any profit out of the Amalgamated Company in connection with the construction of the road."— Carried.

From Alfred Pilfoot, miner, Blackcleugh, asking permission to deepen the ditch in solid rock for some distance 00 the RankleburnBeaumont road; also to deepen one of the culverts or put in a fresh one for drainage parposes. — Left to the Chairman to deal with.

From R. E. Hyde, Heriot, asking that the strip of road reserve containing about three roods, running between the railway reserve alongside section 35, block 4, Greenvale, be closed and sold to the writer. As a rqad reserve there was now no use for the strip of reserve in question. — Moved by Cr Sim and seconded by Cr Edie :— " That the road be closed in the usual way and sold to him." — Carried.

From J. and A. Anderson, engineers, Christchurch, stating that the amount paid them 'as contractors for the Miflers Flat bridge — via., £3,055 2s 6d, was the correct one and that it also tallied with* the amount in the certificate of payment for the month of December. — Received,

From N. Kennedy, on behalf of the O.PQ. Goldmining Co., undertaking to have all work in connection with the construction of a water-racp across the Waipori -Lawrence and Waipori- Waitahuna roads carried out to the satisfac'ion of the Council and without interferenooovtth the-traffic on the roads named. — Alrrpdy iittended to. From lh-: Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, M.H.R., staLing that shortly after he had gone to Wellington he took upon himself to make application for s°veril votes for roads in the electgirate—to wit, Roxbmgb. to Alexandra, Lawrence to Waipori, and Rankleburn to Beaumont ; besides £400 for a vehicle bridge oyer the Waipoii rivpr. — Received.

Prom John Gruickshank and John Gent, RongahTe, offering to do road work on Gent's load as laid off for the sum of £16 —Tender accepted. An account: was received from John Long relitive to a County contract on the Waipori voad, in which a demand was made for a larger sum thun he was credited with by the Council's Inspector.- The matter was referred, for explanation to the Inspector and £hat having been given a motion was carried confirming ths action of the Inspector in the course he thought fit to take. From John Andrew, Tapanui, tendering for collecting the dog-tax for Tapanui and James Riding at 6d per dog. — On the motion of Ors Sim and Edie, applicant was appointed dog-tax collector for Tapanui and James riding at 6d per dog,

from Hfohn Sharp, Rankleburn, asking as holder of section 45,t0 have the money accru- I ing from the deferred payment thirds spent on clearing a road and making some slight 'side cuttings between sections 43, 44, and 45 "§s far down as section 54, quarry reserve, and from there to' the Rankleburn punt, as an outlet from his section.— Resolved that Mr Sharp be informed that deferred payment moneyswere expended by request of settlers where most/j-equined, and that there was no money available for the work referred to in his letter. l . j

From the clerk of the Bruce County Council stating that that body will be prepared to contribute the sum of £6 towards the formation of a portion of the road to Mr John Ro3e's small grazing run on condition that Tuapeka County' oontribute a sum 1 of £9. Us 5d. — Cr : Oadaille, who explained the' position of the Bruce County Council relative to the road referred tor in the letter, Tnbved :—" that the Bruce County Council be informed that the sum offered by them watfp^t sufficient to dq' anything in the "way of' 'permanent or effective work on the road > but if they agree to' give the £19, or so^ Intended for such a §qrpose, the work will tie undertaken.' — e'ponded by Cr Livingston and carried. !*rom A. Bartleman, Dunedin, enclosing amount of rates due by the Jutland Flat and Wajporl QQ%r- BeQeiYefli

c- From the Fahiatua County Council, statin ra that as the interest on the loans to loct 10 bodies bears very heavily on the settlers, pai B " tioularly on those who hold Crown lauds, a looal bodies who bad borrowed money unde the Loaas to Local Bodies Act should en ?*? * deavor to get the Government to give relit ! *| by extending the period of payment to, saj . 50 years and to reduce the rate of interest t 2$ per cent. It was proposed that loca bodies should take the matter up and en f deavor to induce the members for their dis . tricts to take action towards bringing abou the result indicated. — Received. From A. E. Inder, on behalf of Mineral Co., stating that the company's race wen 0 across (be Waipori to Lawrence road, thi Waipori to Waitahuna, and a bye road t( Eaton and party's claim, and asking to be in formed as to the width of culverts required bj , the Council across the roads named. — Mattel attended to. From the Undersecretary for Mines, Wellington, asking the estimated total cost ol shelter-shed and snow-poles on the Old Man 1 Range, according to specifications ; also whether the Southland County Council adopted specifications and agreed to contribute equally with Tuapeka County. — Reply to be sent that the expenditure in question did not come within the authority of the County Council, but should be undertaken by the Government ; also stating that the cost would be about £100. From Jas. M'Eenzie, Roxburgh, enclosing specifications of shelter-shed proposed {to be erected on the Old Man Eange ; also, snowpoles to be erected from shelter-shed to Donah oe's Bock, a distance of a mile and a quarter, the poles to be four chains apart. The poles to be erected would consist of 2in galvanisedjiron pipes, 10 poles to be 9ft above ground, and 15, 7ft above. Probable cost of poles from £1 da to J6l 76 6cL— It Was decided to call for tenders for the erection of shelter shed and snow poles. From John Uren, secretary Gabriels Quartz Reef Prospecting Co., requesting the chairman's signature to voucher, and asking that it be forwarded to the Mines Department. — Attended to. From W. G. Buchan, puntman, Tuapeka Mouth, statiDg that since the recent heavy floods he has had to employ a man for three, weeks to repair the approaches and assist to land the punt ; also stating that he had to employ seven men to assist him to lift the pontoons into the river as they were blocked up with sand. The remuneration for this work be left to the Council. The wire rope was also defective. With reference to the above, it was resolved to ask the Clutha County Council for an explanation regarding wire rope, and that they will be responsible should an accident happen, as they provided a guarantee with same. *■ From Geo. Dawson, Tapanui, stating his t readiness to become guarantee for Mr John Andrew, who has applied for the position of dog-tax collector in Tapanui district. — Received. From the Department of Agriculture, Wellington', declining to allow the local officers of that Department to collect the dog-tax in Tuapeka district. — Received. CHABITABLE AID. The secretary of the Otago Benevolent Institution Trustees wrote stating that John M'Bean would be admitted to the institution, and that Benjamin Gregg was granted 4s a week for three months. Robert Waugh would be admitted on receipt of guarantee from his brother to pay 5s a week for him. Mrs A. M'Cunn's allowance was continued. Thomas Doyle could also be admitted at any time, and 43 a week for six months was granted to Geo. Mailey. — Received. A communication was received from 27 residents and ratepayers of M'Millans Flat, Munros Gully, and Evans Flat stating they had known Ah Hoon (better known as Jack) for 20 years, and always found him a hardworking, industrious, and sober man. He is 76 years of age and unable to work, and they strongly recommend him as a subject for charitable aid.— Cr Simpson said he made exhaustive inquiries into the case of the man on whose behalf the petition was presented, and he fully satisfied himself that the case was a most deserving one and worthy of the support of the Council. He had gone to a good deal of trouble in order to assure himself that it was a genuine case, and he hoped the Council would give it their favorable consideration. He asked for 5d a week. "" Cr LiviDgston considered 2s 6d a week was quite enough for a Chinaman ; besides he was an opium smoker. Cr Simpson thought that even a Chinaman was quite as much entitled to considerate treatment as a European, and if he smoked opium that was all the stronger reason that he should receive consideration as a revenue producer. After, some further discussion it was agreed to recommend him to ther Charitable Aid authorities for 3s a week. Cr Inglis said he had a similar application to make on behalf of John Sullivan, of Horseshoe Bend. He was an old miner whom he had known ever since he (Cr Inglis) came to the Teviot. He was at present in a very destitute condition and so bad from rheumatism that he was at times compelled to crawl about on his hands. But he would die in the ditch before he would either go into the Benevolent Institution or apply for relief. Only for his neighbors he would have starved, and it was his neighbors and not the man himself who had urged him to appeal to the Council. The Chairman suggested that the residents ' at Horseshoe Bend should send a petition into the Council and it would be attended to at once. It would be forwarded to the charitable aid authorities without delay. Cr Simpson desired to ask the Council's consideration in the case of Mrs Anderson, Blue Spur, a woman of about 8Q years of age. She had originally been receiving 5s a week charitable aid, but it was reduced to 4a some time ago. That sum was inadequate for her support, and were it not for the charity of her neighbors she could not live. He asked that the Council should recommend her case as a deserving one and support him in his application, Cr Sim said seeing that so many of those oases oame before the Council periodically, members of the Council, he thought, should, be prepared to recommend that those desti« tqte people should go to the Benevolent Institution. He thought if that were done thtre would be fewer ca3es of the kind they were now dealing with before the Council. He had himself only made one application in his time from his district, and it struck him as strange that so many cases came from other ridings. Cr Inglis said if it took 5s a week, as he believed it did, to maintain an inmate of the Benevolent Institution, he did not see why any objection should be taken to allowing destitute people to Jive outside on tb,e same allowance. Cr Oudaille said those old pioneer miners were entitled to relief. They had made the country what it was, and it was the duty of the country to see that some provision was made for them when they were no longer able to labor. Cr Simpson moved and Cr Cotton seconded ; — " That Mrs Anderson be recommended for an increase of from 4s to 5s a week." — Carried, Cr Cotton said he had just received a communication from Waipori with reference to an old miner miner named John Wilson, about 73 years of age, who was in destitute circumstances. These old miners who had worked themselves out in the distinct and did so much for the country in its raqghest days must be provided for. He would move ; — " That Wilson be recommended to the charitable aid authorities for 4s a week." — Seconded by Cr Simpson and oarried. A circular was reoeived from the secretary of th€ United Districts of Central Otago, Tuapeka, and Otago Charitabie Aid Board, and Otago District Hospital Board, requesting that in future monthly payments instead of quarterly should be made, as the calls from the various, bodies have to be discharged monthly. — Request complied with. TCAPEKA LICENSING COMMITTEE. A communication was received from the clerk, Lawrence Borough Council, enclosing copy of resolution of that body on the subject of their annual contribution under the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act, 1893, and rei que*sting to be furnished with the items wbioh made up an' acoount of £55 '13s which' was demanded from the Borough Council as that body's share of the expenses incurred for the administration' of the Act in the' Tuapeka licensing district during last year. A similar communication was received from, the' A^eianJra Borough Council with reference to an aniount of J219, odd, and requesting to be f. urnfsh'ed with" a'statetaent showing how that amount was incurred,' an^" stating thai if theanriual contributions go on increasing a special rate wil} have tg be levieft to meet them.° T^e clerk to the Vincent County CoudcH wrote asking particulars with regard to an acoount of £41 7s 3d, expenses in connection, with the administration cf the Licensing Act last year, which that body was aj|eg {9 cqq-

g I tribute, and statiDg that- a schedule of the il kind asked for was annually furnished by the r- i Wakatipu Licensing Committee. U | The clerk explained that he had sent the sr ■ particulars required in each of the cases i- [ referred to. if Cr Sim said he took very strong objection r, to any payment being made to Government 0 officers in connection with the administration ri of thn Licencing Act. It was distinctly i- opposed to the law to do so, and he was i- positive they could not enforce their claim. t The point had been already decided in the Appeal Court, and the Act was very clear on s the question. In this case they had the 1 magistrate, wbo was chnirman of the ComB mittee, putting in his claim for 15 guineas for 3 a sitting, and the clerk, who was also a paid . Government servant.made a charge of£7 7s for P a sitting. Such charges were monstrous, and r neither of them had a right to receive a single penny. Neither the magistrate nor the clerk nor the returning officer could claim | a penny. As he had said, Mr M'Carthy, for t one sitting, charged fifteen guineas and the clerk seven guineas, which was simply ridicu- ) loua. He would move :—": — " That i« future t the Council decline to pay any account? to ; anyone discharging any duty in connection ' with the administration ol the Licensing Act who was receiving money from the Government." Cr Livingston, in seconding the motion, said it was near time that a protest was made againtt the manner in which matters were being conducted in connection with the administration of the Licensing Act. It was clearly against the law that either a madstrate or a policeman should be paid in connection with licensing committees. — The motion was carried. TENDERS. The following were the successful tenderers tor County work : Contract 438, S. Henry ] j 439, Thos. M'Kenzie ; 440, M. Spillane; 441,1 D. Dougherty ; 442, P. Treacy ; 443 (not accepted); 444, Thos. M'Kenzie; 445, Jas. Downes. GENERAL BUSINESS. Cr Tnglis brought under the notice of the Council the state of the road at the Island Block on the east side of the river, caused by watpr escaping from the pipes of the Island Block Co. where the pipes crossed the road. There appeared to be no attention whatever paid to the damage that was being done through this cause. The same remarks applied to pipes running to Kirkpatriek's claim. There were leaks in the pipes, and half of the road was torn a.vay in consequence. They appeared to have^t some rubble and stones on the injured part of the road, but such a method of repair was of very littleuse. — The clerk was authorised to write to both parties demanding that the road be repaired at obce and the nuisance abated. If that was not done the Council will do the work and charge the parties mentioned for same. On the motion of Cr Inglis, seconded by Cr Edie, it was resolved to authorise the engineer to deduct and enforce penalties for work not completed up to contract time on the Millers Flat bridgp. It was decided to fill up the holes on the Bankleburn road from the punt to the County boundary. On the motion of Cr Edie, seconded by Cr Sim, it was resolved re £100 thirds and fourths, Greenvale :— •• That 40 chains of gravel be tendered for Scrubby Flat road from Thompson's towards Kelso ; also for 433 same road, tenders to be called for at the same time as those for the erection of snow poles. Cr Simpson moved and Cr Cottorrseconded: — " That £20 be expended in repairing and gravelling road from Wetherstones bridge leading to Blua Spur." Moved by Cr Bennet, seconded by Cr Edie : — " That £25 be spent repairing the road on the east side of the river from Beaumont."— Carried. Moved by Cr Cotton, seconded by Cr Simpson :—": — " That the engineer survey, report and furnish estimate of the Waipori bridge for vehicle traffic."— Carried. Moved by Cr Edie, seconded by Cr Osborne: — " That all accounts be passed for payment except that for the Pomahaka bridge at Kelso, and that that account be reduced by £50." Carried. Moved by Cr Bennet and seconded by Cr Edie :— " That 400 cubic yards of stone rubble be procured for road from Raes Junction towards Tapanui." — Carried. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £1,433 03 8d wore passed for payment. chairman's repobt. The following report was presented by the Chairman :— I Lave tbe honor to submit the following report ou roads and works for the mouths of November aud December : — The following contracts are either completed or ueanng completion on date— Contract 426 c: 52 chains formation, Beaumont to Baukleburn ; 432 a, 30 chain* metalling, Lawrence to Waipori; 435, carting 500 cubic yards stone, Lawrence to ■Waipori437, carting and filling 850 yards gravel, Hogg's rood. Several boundary bridges, Clutha County, have been repaired, and the Pomahaka bridge at Kelso is now completed. Several bridges and culverts throughout the County have been repaired j Dooherty's bridge has been re-decked, as the old decking was worn through, and the estimated cost of Broad Creek bridge, at Waipori, is £30. The I foo*ridge at Carsen's Creek has been laid off, the estimated cost being £5. This creek is dangerous In time of flood. Five chains'" of cutting have been laid oif at Bankleburn settlemeut. The following culverts have been erected— 4 new culverts on road leading to Tuapeka bush : 1 new culvert at Mr John M'Donald's, Ettrick. The report as read was received and adopted. RETURNS. The following table shows the expenditure on day labor and carting ia the different ridings.

A return was submitted showing the expenditure on roads and works to have been £1433 Os Bd.

Biding. Vo. of Men. Carting, Total. Waipori ... Gabriels ... Browns Clarks Waitahuna Beaumont... James Teviot Tapaniu ... 3 49 1* 1 17-18 1 13-18 15-6 113-18 2 5-6 2 5-18 1 17.18 £ B. d. 4 4 0 1 14 2 5 1 6 12 0 12 3 7 18 0 0 10 1 8 8 0 39 4 4 £ s. d. 66 6 6 28 6 2 40 12 0 32 8 6 31 12 6 38 17 9 51 10 4 49 17 6 74 4 4